Thurs. 3 P.M.

28 Feb. 46

My dear Fran:

            Well honey this tub finally got under way at 11 A.M. Nothing exciting has happened and so far the trip is very smooth but we aren’t actually out to sea as yet. I hit the sack after I wrote you last night and even with two blankets on I [edited for content] near froze to death. All the hatches are kept open and that makes it quite cold down here. Tonight I will sleep in my clothes and see if I can keep warm. I got up at 9:30 A.M. and missed breakfast. We cleaned up and went up on deck until they had inspection then I came down and laid down and fell asleep until dinner time. Haven’t done anything but go up on deck and walk around then come back down again. We aren’t allowed to smoke here where we sleep so we must either go on deck or back in the latrine. We had cold cuts for dinner bologna, cheese, tuna fish, bread butter, & coffee and apples for dessert. Honey I will make this letter continuous and mail it all together when we hit land. Before I sign off for this afternoon I must tell you I love you more than anything and I think of you every minute. I hope this letter finds you and your folks in A-1 health and take good care of yourself because it won’t be too long before I’m back in your arms again dear. I hope and pray God watches over you and our families.

 

With all my love,

Your honey.

 

Saturday 3 P.M.

2 Mar. 46

My dear Fran:

            Well dear as you might expect we are still swaying around in the middle of the Pacific. I didn’t write yesterday as I didn’t feel any to well. That certainly was a mess all day yesterday and the previous evening. Almost everyone got sick. You couldn’t get near the latrine for men “popping their cookies”. The smell was awful and if you weren’t sick the smell made you that way. Fortunately honey I’ve kept mine down how I don’t know but I just made up my mind I wasn’t going to get sick and from all indications I guess I’m not going to. It was quite rough all day yesterday but today has been very nice. I haven’t been eating too much but don’t worry honey I’m not starving. Got up this A.M. about 8:30 washed and shaved then went topside and stayed there until about 1 o’clock. The sun was shining and the sea was very calm. They have a microphone aboard ship that brings us music and daily programs all day long so that’s something to occupy our minds but outside of that there isn't a [edited for content] thing to do. You can't even find room to play cards so that’s out. By the way guess what I've started to read "Sociology" I drew 2 volumes from the library at Ford Lawton before I left. They are forever after us for details so today 13 of our gang signed up to work in the bakery. We work for 3 P.M. to 5 A.M. every other day. The thing we were all looking out for is the fact that will eat well and all we want and it makes the trip go faster. Well dear it’s now 6 P.M. and we've finished supper (lamb, beans, fruit salad). I've spent just about all day up on deck. Even though there isn't a thing to see the air does you some good. We did pass one ship today that was headed for the coast but it was a little too far for me to jump. According to the ship's paper we have 4,890 miles to go yet. Well my darling I think I'll sign off for today but don't forget dear I love you more than anything in the world so be good and write every day. I miss you more than you realize but I look at my honey's picture everyday.

 

With all my love,

Your honey.

 

Sunday 11 P.M.

3 Mar 46

My darling Fran: -

            Well here it is Sunday and about four days have passed since we've boarded this crate. I just got through eating breakfast, imagine it starts at 9 o'clock and here it is 11 and it isn't over with yet. I didn't have anything but bread and coffee [edited for content] if I can he those scrambled eggs they give you. We are supposed to start work in the baker shop at 3 today so I should eat better from now on. Most of the boys are nursing colds including myself but we got cold tablets from the medic so they seem to be helping. I guess nearly everyone is over the sea sickness as the sea has become very calm. Last night Cookie, Sankey, and myself took in a movie. I think you were with me when I seen it before it was "Weekend at the Waldorf". We only went to pass some time away. There isn't a [edited for content] thing to do in the line of amusement. There's only one lounge on board and of course that's for "brass" only. Down below deck where we sleep there isn't any room to play cards or anything else. Honey while I think of it you can sign me up in the V.F.W. now and when you do please send the card as it may come in handy some time or other, you can also sign up yourself and you may find something there to take up some of your time. Well honey these letters written from day to day are rather short but you can be assured I'm thinking of you every minute of the day. I stood on deck this morning and was thinking about that day I met you in Philadelphia. When I came from Wheeler bay that was like heaven so imagine what it will be like the next time I see you. Honey I won't let you out of my sight for a long time. Dear I love you and I miss you so be good and wait for me and we'll pray it won't be very long. Keep those letters coming and send a package occasionally. Tell your mother & dad and our friends I sent my regards. Honey I'll be good and I'll write you every day.

 

With all my love,

Your honey.

 

Monday 4 P.M.

4 Mar. 46

My dear Fran:

            Here's another day passed which means we are getting closer to Japan. Well honey I told you we were going to work in the bake shop. Last night was the first and it wasn't hard although we ruined three batches of cake. There's one thing sure though, we ate like hogs. The officer’s galley is right next to the bake shop and I'm telling you we really gave that ice box a real going over. We had steak with French fries and onions, chicken sandwiches, cake, apple, lemonade, pineapple juice, carrots, etc. We only work there every other night so I guess we'll have to eat chow in the mess hall tonight. We had "abandon ship" drill this afternoon. Everyone had to put their life jackets on and go to their respective stations on deck, that's really all it amounted to. I have not decided yet but I may go to the movies tonight and see "Laura". We got the ships paper today and we are still headed south; probably sometime during the night we will change course and head west. We still have around 4,000 miles to go. I wish we'd hurry up and get there so I can start thinking about coming back real soon. This trip is becoming very monotonous but honey it's too far for me to swim back. I certainly miss you enough to try it but I'm sure I'd never make it. I had your picture out looking at them and honey I'd give anything if I could only be with you for good again. Well dear I guess I've said my little speech for today so in closing I must remind you I love you more than anything in the world and always will. You be good and I promise I'll be good. Give my best to your mother & dad also our friends. I'll be back again tomorrow darling.

 

With all my love,

Your honey.

 

Wednesday 11 A.M.

6 Mar 46

My darling Fran:

            Honey you'll probably notice I missed writing yesterday but I didn't do anything to write about. We did spend the biggest part of the day on deck as it was very nice. Most fellows had their shirts off getting a sun tan. Our Lt. got our order from the commissary for us, I got a box of "Fifth Avenue" candy bars and 7 boxes of vanilla wafers (N.B.C) I worked in the bakery again last night. We baked 400 loaves of bread. Of course we ate well. We baked some Hamburg rolls and had hamburgers with onions, Boston baked beans, tea and the baker from day shift made us two very delicious apple pies. Almost every night we turn our watches back and hour and at present we are six hours behind your time at home. We just got out of bed and my honey is just sitting down to supper. If things keep running smoothly we expect to be in Japan this coming Tuesday. Honey I'm just living for that day I come in to some station in the east and there you stand waiting for me. Boy I'll be the happiest guy in the world. I love you dear and want only you so be a good girl and be patient and I'll be back as soon as I possibly can. It's just about time for chow so I'll bring this to a close. Give my best wishes to your mother & father, hoping they are well and healthy. Also say hello to all our friends. Are you going up to see my folks occasionally, I hope.

 

With all my love,

Your honey.

 

Thurs. 11:30 A.M.

7 Mar. 46

My darling Fran: -

            Well dear another day has passed which means we are getting closer to Japan. Yesterday I spent most of my time on deck as the weather was lovely. Bill B. and Cookie took some pictures so when we get them developed I'll send them to you. They are shots of Bill, Cookie, Sankey, and myself. We all had our fatigues on so they won't be too good looking. We had a little rummy game on deck yesterday, on the cuff. Cookie, Sankey, Bohan, Dick C., & myself played and believe it or not I'm in the hole $2.50 but that dates way back to Hamilton Field so that's not much (about 37 yen). Last night dear Bohan and myself went to the movies we seen "A Bell for Adams". Its setting is in Italy during the war, I like it and I imagine you would like it also. Honey I haven't the slightest idea what you're doing with your time since I haven’t had any mail in about 3 weeks but I imagine you are catching up on some of you social calls. I know my honey is being good so that is a big load off my mind. Dear I know I have a darling little girl waiting in [East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania]. and if you only knew how anxious I am to get back to her because I love her and I miss her more than anything in the world. There’s only one thought running through my mind from day to day, just waiting for that day I can see you again. Well dear I think I'll go up on the sun deck and lay around until chow time so I'll be back with you again tomorrow. Tonight I work in the bake shop again. Give my regards to your folks and our friends.

With all my love,

Your honey.

 

Saturday 2:30P.M.

9 Mar. 46

 

My dear Fran: -

 

            You may think that I missed writing yesterday but I didn’t because we crossed the International date line this morning making today Sat. and yesterday Thurs. we also moved our watches back another hour so I'm really all screwed up as far as the time is concerned. Last night I worked in the baker shop again. We baked 5 hundred loaves of bread and had plenty to eat. I had a couple of cold roast beef sandwiches, bread & jelly, four whole grapefruits and goodness knows what else. As a rule we don’t eat very much the next day and can easily see why. We worked pretty late last night so I didn’t get up until noon today. Four of us played pinochle until 2 o'clock then we had another "abandon ship" drill. I guess we will probably play pinochle the balance of the afternoon and if there's a decent movie showing tonight I'll go see it. Last night "Tall in the Saddle" with John Wayne played but since I worked I didn’t get to see it. Well honey I hope this letter isn’t too monotonous because it’s a repetition all the way through, although it's proof that I'm thinking of my honey every day. If I had a dollar for every time I was caught thinking of my honey I'd be rich honey. Well anyway I love you and that’s one thing they can't take away from me. Hoping that you're well, give my regards to your folks and our friends. Be a good girl and write every day. So until tomorrow God Bless my honey and all our folks.

 

 
 

With all my love,

 

 
Your honey forever.

 

 

 

Monday noon

11 Mar. 46

 

My dear Fran:-

 

Well honey I was a bad boy yesterday first because I didn’t go to church and secondly because I didn’t write my darling a letter. Sat. night I was up late because Sankey & I went to the movies then after the movies we messed around in the bake shop making steak, frying ham, etc so come Sunday I didn’t get up until after 12 noon and I went to work early therefore I didn’t write. We saw "And Then There Were None" starring Berry Fitzgerald. It's pretty good but it's deep as its a mystery. I'm still nursing the cold that I spoke of early in my letter. I'm scared to death because there's about 10 or 12 cases of measles aboard ship and I certainly hate to get it. They may even quarantine the whole boat when we hit Japan until it clears up, I hope not because 3 more weeks on this thing would surely drive me nuts. Honey after I get out of the Army we are going to have lots of calls to make as you know I've made several very nice acquaintances. You hear speak of Bill B., well he's married has one baby and lives in Philadelphia, in his own home. He worked at Westing House Electric before entering the Army. He's a big heavy set fellow with a very pleasing personality. As fellows have nick-named him "appetite" because he really enjoys eating (but not Army chow). You should see him go to town when we work in the bake shop and fix steaks, French fries, etc. Yesterday the weather started to get quite nasty again so several of the kids are again suffering from sea sickness. Yesterday day at noon we were 1700 miles from Japan so about Weds. eve. or Thurs. morning we should be decking in Yokohama. I'm wondering by this time if you've heard anything from Cookies' wife. Well dear I guess I'll send the afternoon playing pinochle so I'll be back again tomorrow. Remember one thing darling I love you and miss you more than anything in the world. Be good and keep the mail coming. Give my best wishes to your mother and dad and all our friends. How is Mackey making out in the Contract Dept?


With all my love,

Your honey.

 

Tuesday 2 P.M.

12 Mar. 46

My darling Fran:

            Just came in from "Abandon Ship" drill so before I go to work in the bake shop I'll write my daily latter. Yesterday wasn't a bit different than any other day, playing pinochle all afternoon, partaking of chow (very poor), and taking in the second chow. I saw "Guest Wife" starring Don Ameche and Claudette Cobbert. It was plenty good. Didn't get up until 10:30 this morning, went topside long enough to get some fresh air then came below and read until this drill. I think I forgot to tell you that Sunday we had turkey for dinner, the only decent meal since we've been aboard this scow. Imagine this chow will be good to the "crap" they are going to give us in Japan. Their diet consists of rice and raw fish served with some sort of sauce so that means you'd better be sending me something to eat occasionally so your honey doesn't starve to death. I certainly hope the package you sent is awaiting me when I arrive. Well honey we are due in Japan Thursday sometime but I don't imagine we will dock until Friday morning. Until tomorrow remember I love you more than anything in the world so be a good girl and write everyday. Give my regards to your mother & dad also our friends. I love you honey.

With all my love,

Your honey.

 

Weds. 11 P.M.

13 Mar. 46

My darling Fran:

            Well dear here it is about journeys end and I'm an awful long way from the little girl I love. We are due in Yokohama at 5 P.M. tomorrow evening. We probably won't get off the boat until Friday morning. Last night I worked in the bake shop, we made 700 loaves of bread. Besides baking we had a feast for ourselves. We had five apple pies, cocoa, delicious steaks, ham and eggs, grapefruit juice, coffee and cake. Any wonder I didn't eat all day today. Today was very rough we had about a 70 mile gale blowing all day and believe me this old tub really rolled back and forth. When you figure the ship listed 30% to the "port" side that’s pretty close to being on her side. We received a souvenir edition of the ship's paper today which I will send to you and you can keep it as a memo of my "very unhappy" trip to the Far East. It’s certainly going to be good to see land but I wish it was the good old U.S.A. instead of Japan. The experience is going to be worth plenty but if I could only return after I've seen the country that would be awfully nice too. My stay here will be much more pleasant knowing I have a true and faithful wife waiting for me back home. I only hope you have forgiven and forgotten bygones because I promise to be faithful to you honey. Dear I love you and only you. I've been playing pinochle all afternoon and evening and as soon as I finish my honeys letter I'm going to have myself a steak as it will be my last chance before starting my diet of rice and raw fish. Next time you go in the Penn Stroud have a glass of beer for me and I'll be thinking of you. Well dear in closing all I can say is God speed our being together again soon. Give my best wishes to your mother and dad also our friends. God bless my darling and all our folks. Write everyday.

 

With all my love,

Your honey.

 

Thurs. 10:30 P.M.

14 Mar. 46

My darling Fran:

            Well dear I just finished working the bake shop so I'll bring this small volume to a close and mail it in the morning. We pulled in to Yokohama harbor at 5:30 P.M. this evening. The only people getting off the boat was the civilians and some of the officers. We aren't getting off the ship until morning upon which time we report to the Yokohama Replacement Center then on to Tokyo which is about 45 minutes train ride from Yokohama. We played pinochle all day until we came in sight of land then we went topside and took in the sights. There where a few Japs around the dock, very poorly dressed but you should see them scramble when we thru cigarettes over board. They [edited for content] near kill one another going after a cigarette so evidentially they are quite scarce over here. I'm going to have my midnight snack (steaks, scallop potatoes, etc.) before I take a shower and turn in for the night. We have early breakfast then prepare to disembark so I suppose it will be noon before we get off. Before I sign off just one more reminder I love you more than anything in the world so be a good girl and write everyday. Give my regards to your mother & dad also our friends. I'll be a good boy and I'll write every day possible. God Bless my darling.

With all my love,

Your honey.